Banana-crate.



PATENTED DEC. 6, 1904.

, V a Htcornegs Inventor,

M. LOMBARDO. BANANA CRATE.

APPLIGATION FILED APR.14, 1904.

fil'/zaleloflzfiarag NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented December 6, 1904.

MICHELE LOMBARDO, OF MASON CITY, IOIVA.

BANANA-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 776,666, dated December 6, 1904,

Application filed April 14, 1904. Serial No. 203.176. (N0 modeL) To M7 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MICHELE LoMBARno, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mason City, in the county of Cerro Gordo and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Banana-Crate, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to crates designed especially for use in shipping bananas, and has for its objects to produce a comparatively simple inexpensive device of this character, in which the protecting-envelop will prevent the fruit coming into contact with and being bruised by the supporting-frame and will further effectually shield the bananas from the cold and one wherein the crate may be readily reversed and filled from either end, thus simplifying the crating operation.

To these ends the invention comprises the novel features of construction and. combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view of a crate embodying myinvention and showing the same empty. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the crate, illustrating the same filled.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that my improved crate comprises, essentially, an outer supporting-frame 1 and an inner protecting case or envelop 2, suitably mounted and sustained within the frame.

The frame 1, which is composed of any appropriate material, but preferably of wood, comprises a series of longitudinal members or strips 8, attached at their ends to primary end bands or hoops 4 and between their ends to a suitable number of secondary intermediate bands or hoops 5, the parts being connected by nails, screws, or other suitable fastening devices.

The inner protecting ease or envelop 2, which is of tubular form, is preferably. composed of burlap or other analogous appropriate material and has its ends folded around retaining members 6 in the form of bands or hoops, which serve to maintain the ends or mouths of the envelop in open distended position, the end portions of the casing being stitched or otherwise secured to the body portion of the latter after being folded around the retaining members, while the latter are secured as herein shown or in other appropriate manner within the frame 1 and adjacent, respectively, to the ends thereof for retaining and supporting the envelop within the frame. Attention is here especially directed to the fact that the sides of the envelop when in position curve inwardly from the retaining members toward its longitudinal center, which latter is of such reduced diameter relative to the diameter of the retaining members as to wholly obviate liability of the body of the envelop between the lines (0 a contacting with the frame for a purpose which will later appear. Stitched or otherwise suitably attached to the body of the envelop along the lines a (it are tubular extensions or closures 7 constituting, in effect, inner supplemental continuations of the envelop and adapted, when tied or otherwise closed at their outer ends, to inclose and retain the fruit within the envelop, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

At this point it is to be noted that the extensions begin at the points a a of non-contact of the envelop with the frame and that when these extensions are closed they will be of a reduced diameter equally or less than the diameter of the envelop at the points a a, and will therefore, under the influence of the weight of the fruit serve to spring or draw the envelop inward still farther from the frame, whereby liability of the fruit coming into contact with and being bruised by the latter is wholly ohviated.

It is to be noted that inasmuch as the opposite ends of the crate are of similar construction the latter may in practice be filled from either end, thus expediting the work of filling the crates as compared with those in which the fruit must be entered from one end only and which necessitates the manipulation of the crate to bring the proper end or mouth uppermost.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I produce a simple device admirably adapted for the attainment 'of the ends in view, it being understood that minor changes in the details herein set forth may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

taining members, and extensions connected With the envelop at points Within the diametrically-reduced portion of the latter and remote from the sustaining members and constituting end closures for the crate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

MICHELE LOMBARDO Vitnesses:

E. N. C ARK, 1. WV. KEERL. 

